十月十日
無瑕無疵、歡歡喜喜站在他榮耀之前。(猶:24)
你在心中熟思“無瑕無疵”(沒有過錯)是多麽希奇的說法呀!我們現在距此尚遠;但耶穌所作的恩工若不完全,是不會中止的,所以有一天我們必能達到那境界。那能保守他民到底的救主,必使他的教會在末時獻給自己“作個榮耀的教會,毫無玷污、皺紋等類病,乃是聖潔沒有瑕疵的。”救主冠冕上的寶石每一塊都是最光彩無疵的。每一位參加羔羊婚筵的童女都是貞潔無瑕的。但耶穌怎樣才能使我們無瑕無疵呢?他要用自己的血洗淨我們的罪,直到我們像神的聖天使那樣潔白完美;我們要穿上耶穌的義袍,這義袍使穿著它的人無瑕無疵,在神的面前成爲完全的。我們當在神的眼中看爲無可指摘、無可斥責的。他的律法不但不攻擊我們,而且在我們裏面發揚光大起來。幷且,聖靈也必在我們裏面成全他的工作。他要使我們完全聖潔,使我們沒有一點犯罪的傾向、判斷、記憶、意志——每一種力量和情感都要釋放我們,使我們不再作罪惡的奴僕。我們必像神那樣地聖潔,幷且永遠住在他的面前。聖徒必永遠定居于天堂,他們的榮美必充滿爲他們所預備的地方。永生之門大開之時必充滿了歡樂,我們也必承受産業,在光中與衆聖一同居住。罪惡沒有了,撒旦被關在門外,誘惑永遠過去了,我們自己必在神的面前“無瑕無疵”,這實在就是天堂!當我們現在高唱永久贊美的歌聲時我們要快樂,不久我們就與被血洗淨的衆聖徒一同唱和;我們要效法大衛在約櫃前的踴躍跳舞,當作我們在寶座前狂歡的前奏。
October
10
“Faultless
before the presence of his glory.”–Jude 24
Revolve in your mind that wondrous word, “faultless!” We are
far off from it now; but as our Lord never stops short of perfection in his
work of love, we shall reach it one day. The Saviour who will keep his people
to the end, will also present them at last to himself, as “a glorious
church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but holy and without
blemish.” All the jewels in the Saviour’s crown are of the first water and
without a single flaw. All the maids of honour who attend the Lamb’s wife are
pure virgins without spot or stain. But how will Jesus make us faultless? He
will wash us from our sins in his own blood until we are white and fair as
God’s purest angel; and we shall be clothed in his righteousness, that
righteousness which makes the saint who wears it positively faultless; yea,
perfect in the sight of God. We shall be unblameable and unreproveable even in
his eyes. His law will not only have no charge against us, but it will be
magnified in us. Moreover, the work of the Holy Spirit within us will be
altogether complete. He will make us so perfectly holy, that we shall have no
lingering tendency to sin. Judgment, memory, will–every power and passion
shall be emancipated from the thraldom of evil. We shall be holy even as God is
holy, and in his presence we shall dwell forever. Saints will not be out of
place in heaven, their beauty will be as great as that of the place prepared
for them. Oh the rapture of that hour when the everlasting doors shall be
lifted up, and we, being made meet for the inheritance, shall dwell with the
saints in light. Sin gone, Satan shut out, temptation past forever, and
ourselves “faultless” before God, this will be heaven indeed! Let us
be joyful now as we rehearse the song of eternal praise so soon to roll forth
in full chorus from all the blood-washed host; let us copy David’s exultings
before the ark as a prelude to our ecstasies before the throne.